Socket for electric lamps



Jan, 20. 1925.

Y O. KUPFERMAN SOCKET Fon ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Dec. 2, 1922 VEN TOR f'l T TORNE Y latented dan. 29, 1925.

treo STATE-s PATENT FFlCE.

OSCAR KUPFERMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SOCKET FOB, ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Application l'ed December 2, 1922. Serial No. 604,486.

' such a way that it can be readily detached without twisting or breakingthe wires or causing short circuits.

The sockets of the hitherto known construction are in many respects objectionable. One of the main objectionsthereof resides in that they are threaded to the fixture so that when detaching the sockets from the latter, the wires become twisted or broken 'causing short circuits or the threads are stripped rendering the socket useless. y y

Another' objection is the vuse of a pullchain or press button for the manipulation of a switch mechanism, because by pulling the chain or pressing the button roughly the socket is shaken, owing to which frequently delicate parts of its switch mechanism or the sections of the insulation body thereof become loose, rendering the Asocket defective.

Another drawback of the yold socket construction is the use of a return spring, usually a coil, in connection with'the Contact ratchets, lbecause such spring Vat slight shocks or jars becomes deranged and ceasing to operate renders the socket useless.

With my invention all the' above named objections are 4entirely avoided.

ldy invention will be fully understood by references to the accompanying drawing in which similai` reference characters denote corresponding parts and in which Fig. 1! is a longitudinal section of my novel socket shown as applied to a stationary fixture;`

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 vof Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the' switch mechanism and Fig. 4 line 4 4 of 'Fig'. 3.

In the drawing Y1'() denotes a stationary fixture in the form of a hollow arm of usual construction, the free end 10 of which is threaded. Heretofore the electric sockets have been screwed directly to this threaded is a cross section on end, as a result of which. the wires become twisted and often break when unscrewing the socket.

The socket constructed according to this invention comprises the 'ordinary threaded metal shell 11 adapted to receive the bulb 12 and to have attached to it the insulation body 13 in which the. switch mechanism 14 is mounted. The insulation body 13 is composed of two separate solid parts, an upper plug or part413 and a lower disc shaped' part 132 which are arranged in superposed position and are separated to form a freely accessible space in which the switch mechanism 14 is accommodated. The two parts 13 `and 132 of the insulation body are rigidly connected together by longitudinally extending and oppositely arranged bars 15, 16 of conductive material to serve at the same time as binding posts for the electric wires 18. At their lower ends these binding posts are perforated to receive sleeves 17 of insulating material which constitute bearings for a threaded 'cross 'shaft 19 adapted to carry a ratchet commutator 20. This shaft is eX- tended at one endl to project outwardly be-V yond the corres-poird'ing` binding post and to have threaded thereon' a serrated nut 21 or the like to serve as a handle for manipulatingY the ratchet commutator. The commutator 2O is of the usualconstruction, that is, consists of a wheel shaped body of insulation material formed with four ratchet teeth the outer faces of two of which are covered with conducting material while the others lare the `saine non-conducting material as the body portion. The coverings 22 for the two teeth are constituted by lateral projections ofV a disc 23 of conducting` material 'arranged adjacent one face of the wheel 20. The commutator wheel .20 is formed with a square central hole -2O which fits on a square 19 formed on the shaft 19. lt is fixed in its position on said lsquare 19 by sleeve shaped nut-s 24, 25, threaded on the shaft 19. 26, 27 denotey metal washers and 28 a washer of insulation material.

The circumferential' surfaces of the teeth of the ratchet 20 are vcircularly curved eccentrically to the body portion of the wheel so that the circumferential face of each tooth constitutes a cam whose crest is at the projecting vend of the tooth. The end face or drop of each tooth extends in radial direction. Cooperating with these teeth of the commutator, are two members 29 and lwill perform three functions of conductive material arranged at diametrically opposite vsides of the wheel. Of these members, the member 29 is carried by and conductively connected to a screw bolt, which extends longitudinally through the section 13 of the insulation body and whereby the shell or metal socket proper 11 is xed to the latter. This member is formed of a spring plate, which from its point of attachment extends downwardly in a vertical plane intersecting the wheel body on a line substantially tangent to the body portion thereof. At an intermediate point, the plate 29 is bent laterally in a direction away from the wheel as at 29 and then again .downwardly in a sloping manner toward the wheel as at 292. At its lower part, the sloped portion .292V is curved as at 293 to conform with the curvature of the cam surface of a toothand is capable of tightly embracing a tooth of the vwheel and owingA to its spring force tends to hold the wheel steadily in position. This member 29 by virtue of kits particular shape and 'in conjunction with the cam shaped ratchet teeth In sliding over the sheathed and unsheathed faces of the teeth, it will act as a circuit'make and nism will be rendered positivezand'sparking Y avoided. The second memberl 30 is in form of a recessed arm or plate, also of resilient and conductive material, fixed to the binding post 15 as at 30 and extending across the wheel body. The free end of this arm is formed with a lateral extension 302 adapted to extend into the path of the ratchet teeth. This member 30 is adapted normally to extend in a vertical plane removed from the center of the wheel a distance substantially equal to the radius of the latter and with its extension to bear on the Vwheel body. By extending across the dropof a tooth, it will act as a barrierV preventing positively retrograde movement of the commutator. 4

The binding posts 15 and 16 are secured in position by the longitudinal bolts 33, 34 extending through the section13 of the insulation body and'of which the bolt 33 carries the contact tongue .35 which extends into the metal shell 11 to make Vcontact with the central contact point 12 of the bulb 12 in the usual manner. The disc shaped part 14 of the insulation body has fixed to its bottom a member 36 extending diamet- Vrically across the face of the disc 132 and disc or ring shaped members 38', 382 ar' ranged at a short elevation from one another and connected together by vertical ribs 39. The ring shaped members are centrally perforated, the'lower one 38 having its central bore or perforation threaded sov that it may be screwed onto the Vthreaded end 10 of the fixture or arm 10.V The central perforation ofthe upper ring 382 is adapted to serve as a socket for the cylindrical boss 37 which is adapted to snugly tit therein and to be clamped "in position by a set screw 40 or the like. A set screw 41 may also be used for the lower ring shaped perforation to insure its position on the fixture. The wires 18 conveyed through'Y the fixture 10 are'branched outwardlythrough the free space between the two rings 38 382 in opposite directions and are attached to the binding posts as at `15', 16. The disc` shaped part 132 of the insulation body may be grooved as at 13,3 toaccommodate the wires.V As usual, the insulation body and Y the switch mechanism are enclosed in a sheath 43 of insulation material' 'aroundv which is mounted the'tube: or cylinder 44 of porcelain or the like tov representa candle. The lower part of the tube 44 is longituV- dinally slotted as at 44,whichslot extends to the lower end thereof and serves as a ico passage for the projecting end of thershaft 'Y 19 carrying vthe knob 21.

vBy the construction hereinbefore described an: electric candle socket is produced which, as will be readily seen, isvery simple in construction and manipulation and which owing yto the fact that the switch mechanism is composed of only a few parts will be very durable and safe for use. Owing to the provision of the'nipple betweentlie socket and the fixture the attachment and detachment of thesocket from the latterV are :rendered easy and convenient.

1. In an electric socket', the combination with a fixture having a threaded*V nozzle, of a Vboss projectingfrom the bottomof saidv socket, anipple having athreaded-bore 4to screw on said nozzle and aplain bore to serve as socket for said bossandmeans for locking said boss in said socket.

2. In an electric socket, the Vcombination with a fixture having a threaded nozzle, of a boss projecting from the bottom-of said socket, a nipple having lateral recesses and' l an inter1'1\ally threaded bore to thread on said nozzle and a plain bore forming a socket for said boss, and means for locking said boss in said socket, said recesses serving for the passage of electric wire.

3. ln an electric socl et,an insulation body divided into two superposed parts separated from one another to form a freely accessible space, a switch mechanism arranged in said space and including two 0pposite binding posts fixed to said parts and separating the latter, insulation bearings in said posts, a manually operable shaft borne in said bearings, a ratchet commutator on said shaft, two Vertical resilient members adapted to cooperate with said commutator both as pawls and conductors, a projection on said insulation body, a mouthpiece adapted to be iXed to a iXture and to receive said projection, and means for clamping said projection in said mouthpiece.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX D. ORDMANN, JOSEPH T. MoMAHoN. 

